Turkish police used tear gas and water cannon in Ankara’s Kizilay Square to stop a memorial demonstration for an activist fatally shot in the head during protests. As police clashed with the hundreds-strong crowd a ban on downtown protests was announced.

About a thousand demonstrators gathered at the square in the
center of the Turkish capital on Sunday, blocking two busy
boulevards.

The protesters were
waiting for the funeral procession for Ethem Sarisuluk, a
26-year-old activist who was shot in the head during
demonstrations in Ankara on June 1 in support of Istanbul’s Gezi
Park. Following two weeks on life support, Sarisuluk was declared
brain dead.

The demonstrators, who believe the bullet that killed Sarisuluk
was fired by a policeman, were chanting anti-government slogans,
when scores of the police backed by riot control vehicles entered
the square.

Many demonstrators have brought flowers – red carnations – to
commemorate the protester shot at Kizilay.

The police waited until the funeral convoy arrived to the scene,
stopping it, the witnesses tweeted.

The deceased’s family and a deputy of main opposition Republican
People’s Party (CHP) tried to negotiate with the police to let
the procession through, but were not allowed into the square,
according to Hurriyet.

The cortege was then told to turn back from where it started, and
the procession had to leave.

After repeatedly demanding to clear the square, the police then
cracked down on the demonstrators, firing tear gas and
high-pressure water. Armored police vehicles were backing the
raid and making “dangerous driving maneuvers” and “putting lives
of people at the square in danger.”

The Ankara governor’s office on Sunday said it is banning any
downtown demonstrations from June 16, and threatened protesters
with immediate police intervention and prosecution in court.

“From June 16, any demonstrations, marches or other actions
may not be held in the central streets of Ankara… Otherwise,
security forces will be used to halt rallies and legislative
measures will be applied against the organizers of these actions
and their participants,” the statement on the governor’s
office website said.

‘We will not allow any gathering in Taksim’

Meanwhile in Istanbul, riot police fired sporadic bursts of tear
gas to prevent the demonstrators from regrouping. Protesters’
tents and barricades were removed in Taksim Square and Gezi Park
overnight ahead of the massive pro-government rally in the city’s
largest square, Kazlıcesme.

Istanbul’s Governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu on Sunday stressed that
protesters would not be allowed to gather in Taksim Square.

“There is a call to gather in Taksim at 4pm [13:00 GMT]. Any
call for Taksim will not contribute to peace and security. After
the current environment becomes stable, they can continue
exercising their democratic rights. Under current circumstances
we will not allow any gathering,” Mutlu told reporters.

The situation in Istanbul is mostly peaceful, and there are no
major clashes in the city center, the governor claimed.

Earlier reports said the police have chased another group of
about 100 protesters heading for Taksim into a mall in
Mecidiyekoy, also in Shishli. The people shopping at the mall
reportedly chanted anti-government slogans, protesting against
the police intervention.

“[The Turkish authorities] have negotiated with protesters but
never kept their promises. Although they said they would keep
[Gezi] park, they actually immediately abolished it. They have to
keep their promises. We can never be sure that they are
sincere,” the human rights activist stressed.